The Man Who Hung Upside Down from the Tree

In the city of Vaishali, one morning, golden sunlight fell gently upon the red-tiled rooftops. The market had long been bustling, with vendors calling out and laughter filling the streets. But today, the people of the city were more stirred than usual. They pointed and whispered about a strange man who had just appeared at the base of the ancient banyan tree at the edge of the village.

He was a gaunt man, skin stretched over bones, dressed in ragged, coarse clothing. He climbed up the tree, hooked his legs around a branch, and let his head hang down toward the ground. All day long he stayed suspended like that, eyes tightly shut, mumbling something under his breath. Beneath the tree, he placed an upturned conical leaf hat to serve as an alms bowl. Everyone who passed by stopped out of curiosity to look, and some, moved with pity, dropped a few coins or a handful of rice into the hat.

"This man must have deep spiritual power! To hang upside down like that and endure it all day long—he is no ordinary person!" an old woman said to her companion.

"Yes, they say he has practiced austerities for many years. Surely he is a true renunciant of high virtue!" a man replied, nodding.

But few knew that behind that ascetic appearance lay a scheming heart. When he was not hanging upside down in the tree, he would wander all over the city. Whenever he met someone, he would stare intently at that person's face, then shake his head and sigh:

"My dear, I see in your features that a great misfortune is coming. Unless you make offerings to me so that I may pray for you, you will hardly escape it!"

Frightened, those who heard him hurriedly presented money and gifts. He even spread word everywhere that the whole city of Vaishali would face a great calamity unless the people obeyed him. The townspeople felt both fear and resentment. They made offerings to him out of fear, not out of respect. Some even compared him to a kidnapper holding hostages, someone who knows only how to threaten in order to extort money.

One day, some monks went into the city on their alms round and heard the people speak of this strange ascetic. Returning to the monastery, they related it all to the Buddha:

"World-Honored One, in the city of Vaishali there is a man who calls himself an ascetic. Every day he hangs upside down in a tree to beg for money. But when he comes down, he goes about frightening people; anyone who does not make offerings to him, he curses, saying that disaster will strike. Everyone is afraid of him, yet in their hearts they are full of resentment."

The Buddha listened, then spoke slowly, his voice deep and warm yet solemn:

"Monks, that man is a fool. What good is a fool? What use are braided hair and a goatskin robe? Outwardly he plays the ascetic, but within, his heart is full of afflictions (kleshas). He is skilled only in deceit, merely putting on an air of solemnity."

The Blessed One paused, his gaze distant, as if seeing through many lifetimes:

"This man, in many past lives, also lived as an ascetic, using threats to deceive people. In this life, he still has not abandoned that bad habit. Cause and effect (karmic law) has a tendency to repeat itself. Unless he reforms, he will go on repeating that same unwholesome karma again and again."

The Buddha looked around at the monks and continued:

"A true practitioner, though he may need food, clothing, and shelter, does not on that account become greedy, scheming, and manipulative. The robe does not make the monk. One who cares only about appearing solemn on the outside while being full of afflictions (kleshas) within is no different from that fool."

The monks fell silent, reflecting deeply on the Buddha's words. From then on, they understood that virtue does not lie in outward form, but in a pure heart and mind—one free of greed, never frightening others for personal gain.

The Meaning of the Story

This story reminds us: do not judge a person by a flashy outward appearance. A true practitioner is one who lives in accordance with the ideal of renouncing greed, never using threats or tricks to seek material gain. Let us always remain wakeful, keep our mind and heart pure, and stay far from every form of deceit, so that cause and effect (karmic law) does not lead us to repeat such unwholesome karma once again.

Compiled from a dharma talk by the Venerable Thích Chân Quang